by Jay | Oct 18, 2009 | New England, New Hampshire, PASS, Riverside Speedway
Naples ME (10/18/09 Championships aren’t easy to come by in sports, and auto racing is no exception. To win the deciding race to claim a championship is the dream of many a racer. Carey Martin lived out that dream Saturday when he won the Pro All Stars Series (PASS) Sportsman finale at Groveton New Hampshire’s Riverside Speedway. Martin claimed the feature over his nearest championship rival Mike Landry, securing the 2009 PASS Sportsman title by a two point margin. Clyde Hennessey finish third, Lyman McKeage fourth and Grant Arthur came home fifth.
After the qualifying heats were completed the two were deadlocked in the standings, with Dan McKeage just two points behind. Clyde Hennessey captured heat one to sit on the pole, with heat two winner McKeage to his outside.
Hennessey took the lead from the first green but Martin quickly moved up to second with Landry right on his bumper in third. The pair chased Hennessey until lap twenty nine when Martin took command. Dan McKeage was charging, up to second from fourth ahead of Hennessey and Landry, Arthur and Lyman McKeage.
When the crossed flags were displayed it was Martin, Dan McKeage, Landry up to third and Hennessey fourth. The front three were evenly matched ran nose to tail for thirty laps until Dan McKeages’ challenge for a second PASS Sportsman title went up in smoke with driveline problems. McKeage was done for the day at lap 59.
The final caution set up a sixteen lap showdown between the top two title contenders, with Martin on the inside and Landry outside. Martin got the jump on Landry at the green and try as he might, Landry could not find his way past the veteran Sportsman racer. Landry ran Martin clean, putting on a great battle for the win but Martin wasn’t to be denied, taking the victory and the title of 2009 PASS Sportsman Championship in the process. It was Martins’ third win of 2009 and firth top five in seven starts.
Just three cautions slowed the seventy five lap feature event. Seven cars completed all the laps; heat race wins went to Hennessey and Dan McKeage.
Carey Martin and his fellow PASS competitors will gather November 7th at Verillo’s Convention Center in Westbrook Maine for the 2009 Pro All Stars Series Banquet of Champions.
The Pro All Stars Series is on line at www.racewithpass.com and www.proallstarsseries.com .
Unofficial Results- PASS Sportsman 75 lap feature–Riverside Speedway, Groveton NH -10/17/09
1) 18 Carey Martin, Denmark ME 2) 40 Mike Landry, Oakland ME 3) 8 Clyde Hennessey, Windham ME 4) 58 Lyman McKeage, Gorham ME 5) 7oz Grant Arthur, Exeter NH 6) 34 Richie Morse, Waterford ME 7) 51 Dan Sidney, St. Johnsbury VT 8) 1 Kerry Marten, Littleton NH 9) 02F David Fowler, Barnstead NH 10) 67 Jourdain Davis, Whitefield NH 11) 7x Shawna Randall, Stark NH 12) Dan McKeage, Gorham ME 13) 35 Bobby Nadeau, Hollis ME 14) 73 David Ofswyk, Newport Center VT
by Jay | Oct 18, 2009 | NASCAR
Jimmie Johnson has done it again. He won the NASCAR Banking 500 Saturday night, extending his lead over teammate Mark Martin to 90 points in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup championship.
Johnson drove away from the field after dicing with teammate Jeff Gordon in the closing laps of the 334-lap race.
It was Johnson’s sixth win at Lowe’s Motor Speedway and put him another step closer to a fourth consecutive championship, which would be a first in NASCAR history.
Trailing Johnson at the finish line were Matt Kenseth, with his best finish since winning at Auto Club Speedway in February, Kasey Kahne, Gordon, Joey Logano, Clint Bowyer, Casey Mears, Kyle Busch, Martin Truex and Kurt Busch.
Martin had his worst night of the Chase thus far after accidentally hitting the rear of Juan Pablo Montoya’s car on a restart. The accident ended Montoya’s streak of top-five finishes at four, and relegated Martin to a 17th-place finish. Montoya didn’t fare so well. He wound up 35th.
It was not a good night for other Chase drivers as well. Denny Hamlin ran with the leaders before losing an engine. Carl Edwards was the victim of an accident and his damaged car lost an engine when he returned to the track in an attempt to get as many points as possible. Edwards was 39th. Brian Vickers had another terrible run, finishing 34th.
Other drivers in the Chase wound up better with Ryan Newman finishing 11th; Tony Stewart 13th and Greg Biffle 16th.
The race was delayed several minutes by a cold, spitting rain but it stopped and Johnson took off from the pole in quest of another win at LMS, a track he owns in recent statistics.
Sam Hornish Jr. brought out a caution on Lap 3 when he spun and barely glazed the second Turn 2 wall. The race was back underway at Lap 7 and Hornish spun again, this time off the fourth turn. Once again, the former Indy 500 winner escaped with no serious damage to his car.
When the race resumed on Lap 13, it was Johnson out front, followed by Martin, Kyle Busch, Newman, Kahne, Joey Logano, Brad Keselowski, Montoya, Kenseth and Hamlin. Montoya had gained 10 spots in just a few laps from his 18th starting position.
Rain prompted NASCAR officials to throw a caution again on Lap 35. Following pit stops, Kenseth was the leader on the 42nd lap restart with Johnson and Kyle Busch right behind him. Rounding out the top 10 were Hamlin, Biffle, Kahne, Montoya, Gordon and Newman.
Johnson eventually regained the lead with Hamlin in second and Kenseth third. By Lap 70, Johnson had built nearly a full-second lead, showing everyone why he has been so successful at this 1.5-mile hometown track.
However, just a few laps later, Hamlim zoomed to the front in his FedEx Toyota owned by Joe Gibbs.
All of the frontrunners pitted under green between Laps 93 and 96 and when the smoke cleared, it was Kenseth in front briefly before Hamlin took back over, followed by Kyle Busch, Johnson, Montoya, Mears, Martin, Bowyer, Kahne and David Reutimann.
Kyle Busch spun in Turn 4 at 120 laps to bring out another caution. Gordon was the leader on the 124th lap restart with Biffle, Newman and Hamlin in tow.
Martin got into the back of Montoya on the restart, causing considerable damage to Montoya’s Chevrolet. Montoya dropped well back in the pack due to the accident because his right rear fender was bent outwards, acting like a parachute catching the wind.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. pulled into the garage shortly after the restart with transmission problems.
At the halfway mark (162 laps), the top 10 were Gordon, Hamlin, Johnson, Kahne, Kenseth, Biffle, Newman, Bowyer and Bill Elliott.
Montoya brought out a caution when his ill-handling car spun shortly before the halfway point. He lost two laps while his crew made repairs.
by Jay | Oct 15, 2009 | Canada
(Shediac, N.B.) — The Centre for Speed, Greater Moncton’s Playground of Power, will host the Atlantic Championship ‘Day of Destruction’ and Endurance event this Saturday afternoon at 1:00 p.m. featuring an ‘edge-of-your-seat’ Barrel racing, an Endurance race as well as a giant Demolition
Derby.
The ‘crash and bang’ action will also include an always unpredictable ‘Full Contact’ race and promises to be an action-packed afternoon of ‘smash-em up’ action with upwards of $10,000 in winnings available to competitors.
CFS is also awaiting confirmation from the Atlantic Open Wheel (AOW) tour modifieds who may
also be part of Saturday’s program.
Saturday’s final event of the 2009 season at CFS gets underway at 1:00 p.m., with admission of $12 for adults, $5 for children 5 to 15 years of age, and FREE for children under 5. Front gates and grandstands open at noon while pit gates open at 10:30 a.m.
Full schedule
details are available at www.centreforspeed.com
About CFS
The CENTRE for Speed, built in 1996, is home to the Atlantic region’s largest and fastest paved 3/8 of a mile stock car oval as its centerpiece. The CENTRE overlooks the Northumberland Strait and is located 5 kilometers east of Shediac’s Parlee
Beach on Route #133 in the village of Grand Barachois.
by Jay | Oct 15, 2009 | New England, Thompson
THOMPSON, CT The consistent predictions of a rain-filled weekend forced Thompson International Speedway officials to reschedule the XTRA MART World Series of Speedway Racing to next weekend. The event schedule for the new dates, October 23, 24, and 25 will be exactly the same as that listed for this weekend.
Thompson track management, after careful consideration of both race teams and fans, made the rescheduling decision at this time in order to give those traveling to Thompson as much notice as possible. “We desperately wanted to run the World Series event this weekend, said track owner, Don Hoenig. But, when virtually every weather forecast is predicting a complete wash out, we felt we had no choice but to move everything to next weekend”.
The three-day XTRA MART World Series of Speedway Racing, featuring all fifteen racing divisions, will get underway on Friday, October 23rd and will continue through Sunday October 25th. The original schedule of events will remain unchanged.
by Jay | Oct 15, 2009 | New England, New Hampshire, PASS, Riverside Speedway
NAPLES ME (October 14 2009) The Pro All Stars Series (PASS) Sportsman racers started their 2009 season at Speedway 95 in April, when the season was new and every competitor was tied for the points lead. October has arrived and after six races and six months there’s still a tie at the top of the heap and one driver that trails the top two by just three markers.
That’s as tight as it gets, and the top three will do battle this Saturday afternoon at the PASS sanctioned Riverside Speedway in Groveton New Hampshire for the title. Carey Martin and Mike Landry are deadlocked with 284 points apiece and Dan Mckeage trails the pair by three at 281. Any one of the three could wind up with the 2009 Champion’s trophy. Lyman Mckeage sits in fourth with 213 and just one point separates him from fifth place points man Shane Tatro.
So there’ll be plenty of races within the race to keep an eye on as the PASS Sportsman take on an expected full field of Sportsman/Limited racers from throughout the region. It’s guaranteed to be some of the best racing you’ll see this season, and the tough Riverside oval only makes the show even better.
The PASS Sportsman title race is just a portion of the huge Russ’s NAPA presents the 4th annual Frostbite 400, highlighted by a 250 lap, $5,000.00 to win four and six cylinder Enduro, the speedway’s own Cyclone division championship, Dwarf Cars and Daredevils. It’s grass roots racing at its very best, and a great way to wrap the PASS Sportsman season.
Pit gates open October 17 at 8:00 AM, tech gets underway at 9:00 AM, and post time for the first race is 1:30 PM. For more details please visit www.riversidespeedway.org .
by Jay | Oct 15, 2009 | Canada, New England
October 12, 2009 – Shediac (N.B.) – After a number of second place finishes over the past few years at this event, Kirk Thibeau (#28) of Fort Fairfield, Maine was finally able to enjoy a victory lane celebration after capturing the win in the Maple Leaf Foods Pro Stock 150 during Sunday’s 9th annual Atlantic Stock Car Championships presented at the Centre for Speed (CFS) in nearby Grand Barachois, N.B.
Meanwhile, John Rankin (#28) of St. Martins, N.B. capped off a successful Sportsman season by winning the Vance Hanes Autoparts 75 Atlantic Championship event to go along with his 2009 season championship at Speedway 660.
The full-day event attracted 156 of the top drivers and teams from throughout Atlantic Canada and Maine to compete in six different Atlantic Championships stock car features for Pro Stock, Sportsman, Streetstock, Mini Stock, Four Fun and Legends drivers with over $50,000 in payouts and lap sponsorships on the line.
Four other Atlantic Champions were crowned in their respective divisions including Jamie Vassallo (#38) from Glace Bay, N.S. in Streetstocks, Geoff Bevan (#43) of Middle Sackville, N.S. in Legends, Martin Landry (#00) of Grand Barachois in Mini Stocks and Dan Michaud Jr. (#119) of Waverley, N.S. in the Four Fun division.
In Pro Stock action, Thibeau started third in 31-car grid for the Maple Leaf Foods Pro Stock 150 as a result of his win in the third qualifying heat behind the two other heat winners, Shawn Tucker (#52) of Fredericton (pole) and Kevin Moore (#88) of Charlottetown. On the very first turn of the feature, defending event champion, Wayne Smith (#44) of Timberlea, N.S., who had battled lap traffic throughout the qualifying and semi-final events to start near the back of the field, and Terry Dougay (#14) of Albany, PEI collided sending Smith to the pit area for quick repairs which put him one-lap behind the leaders upon his return to the track.
Meanwhile, Moore took the early lead from Tucker on the first lap of the event, a lead he held until lap #18 when Thibeau got by thanks to an inside pass. Thibeau and Tucker then battled bumper-to-bumper over the next 24 laps until Tucker finally found a way around Thibeau on lap #42 to claim his first and only lead of the event with a hard-charging Smith one-lap down but third in the field behind Thibeau.
Over the next 8 laps, Thibeau battled hard to reclaim the lead on lap #50 with this time, a hard-charging Mike Stevens (#26) of Riverview parked on his back bumper followed by Tucker, Craig Slaunwhite (#99) of Terrence Bay, N.S. and Moore. The fifth lead change of the event occurred on lap #59 when Stevens took the high line to get around Thibeau – a lead he would hold over the next 12 laps.
A scary moment occurred on lap #68 when Canadian Motorsports Hall of Famer, Rollie MacDonald (#13) of Pictou, N.S. plowed hard into the turn #3 wall after coming into contact with another racecar. The good news was that MacDonald emerged from the crumpled racecar under his own power complaining of a sore ribcage as a result of the violent collision.
A few laps after the resumption of the event on lap #71, leader Stevens appeared to loose control of his racecar on his own coming out turn #4 thus handing the lead back to Thibeau. After a quick trip to the pit area, Stevens returned, but a loose handling racecar kept him well back from the lead pack.
Over the final 79 laps of the feature and a number of caution flags, Thibeau was able to hold his lead and beat back challenges from Slaunwhite, Tucker and Moore to finally capture the win that had eluded him over the past number of years. At the finish line, Moore had to settle for second with Tucker in third, Jonathan Hicken (#5) of Brudenell, PEI in fourth and Kris Fournier (#37) of Charlottetown, PEI rounding out the top five.
« I’ve been coming to this event since 2001, finished three or four times in second, and now this feels awesome, » said a beaming Thibeau in victory lane as he collected the winner’s trophy as well as the lion’s share of the purse after having led the most laps in the event.
Pro Stock semi-final winners included Hicken and Brian McNaughton (#18) of Lower Coverdale, NB.
The Vance Hanes Auto Parts Sportsman 75 saw 30 of the top Sportsman drivers from throughout Atlantic Canada take the green flag with New Brunswickers Al Snelgrove (#0) of Moncton, CFS 2009 Sportsman Champion, Dan Bourque (#15) of Grande-Digue, Cal Hatfield (#11) of Rothesay, and Jim Duke (#84) of Lakeville in the four top starting positions thanks to their earlier heat wins.
Snelgrove and Glyn Nott (#12) of Burton, NB battled for the lead throughout the first half of the event. On a lap #36 restart, there was dramatic turn of events as Snelgrove led the field to the green flag, with Knott in second and Speedway 600 champion, John Rankin (#28) of St. Martins, N.B in third. Snelgrove’s left front wheel slipped into the infield on the restart sending him spinning in front of the field. As a result of the caution flag, he had to go to the back of the pack for the ensuing restart, thereby handing the lead to Nott.
Over the next 18 laps, Rankin tried to find an opening to get around Knott, which he finally accomplished with an outside lane pass on lap #55. Knott kept pace with Rankin until lap #70 when his racecar slid up the track in turn #3, opening the door for Matt Maillet (#29) of Burton, N.B. to vault into second. Rankin then held on for the win, crossing the stripe ahead of Maillet and 2008 CFS champion, Claude Gaudet (#22) of Grand Barachois.
Sportsman semi-final winners included Ronnie Lane (#46x) of Prosser Brook, NB, Calvin Rankin (#46) of Quispamsis, NB and Luc Bourgeois (#88) of Memramcook while 16-year old Jacob Logan (#37) of Harvey Station, N.B. picked up the win in the Sportsman Consolation.
In Streetstock action, Jamie Vassallo (#38) of Sydney, N.S. continued the Cape Breton domination in this Atlantic Championship event by capturing the win in the 50-lap feature ahead of former Speedway 600 Champ, Rick Cashol (#54) of Saint John and Joey Rudderham (#67) of Marshy Hope, Cape Breton. Cashol, who also finished second in the 2008 Atlantic Championship event, started third on the 25-car grid. He quickly took the lead from pole-sitter Doug MacEwen (#40) of Charlottetown on lap #2 with Vassallo in hot pursuit in third. Four laps later (lap #21), Vassallo took the outside groove to overtake both MacEwen and Cashol and held on for the win.
In Mini Stock action, drivers from CFS dominated the field to finish in the top three positions. Martin Landry (#00) of Grand Barachois picked up the win after taking the early lead from Brad Daley (#33) of Moncton. At the finish line, Daley had to settle for second place while Pierre Gautreau (#99) of Shediac, the 2008 CFS Mini Stock champion, came in third.
In Four Fun action, champion drivers from Scotia Speedworld (SSW) in Halifax once again took two of the top three positions in the 23-car feature. Dan Michaud Jr. (#119) of Cole Harbour, N.S. capped off a very successful season by winning the Atlantic Championship event to go along with his 2009 Lightning division championship at SSW. Michaud crossed the stripe ahead of Gerald Brun (#17) of Moncton and fellow SSW Thunder division champ, Derek MacCallum (#16) of Lower Sackville, N.S.
Finally, in Legends action, NASCAR Canadian Tire Series champion, J.R. Fitzpatrick (#23) of Cambridge, Ontario wagged a fierce battle with rookie Brad Eddy (#28) throughout the 20-lap feature. As both drivers raced hard to checkered flag out of the final turn, their racecars collided sending both of them crashing heavily into the front straightway wall. Shaken, but otherwise uninjured, they emerged from their disabled cars to the applause of the crowd who had just witnessed a tremendous battle between two talented competitors.
The win went to Geoff Bevan (#43) of Middle Sackville, N.S. who ran a strong third throughout the event, with Shelby Baker (#53) of Halifax, NS placing second and Ray Cox Jr. (#55) of Porters Lake, NS in third.
As a result of having to move all qualifying and feature events to Sunday because of rain on Saturday, J.R. Fitzpatrick, the NASCAR Canadian Tire series champion and NASCAR Nationwide and Camping World Truck series driver for the Kevin Harvick NASCAR racing team, was unable to compete in Sunday’s delayed Pro Stock 150 event due to an early evening flight back to North Carolina.
Next Saturday, October 17th at 1 :00 p.m., the CENTRE for Speed (CFS) will present the Atlantic Demolition and Endurance Championships with up to $10,000 in winnings available to Demolition Derby competitors.
The CFS is located 5 kms east of Shediac’s Parlee Beach on Route #133 in the village of Grand Barachois, New Brunswick.
Full schedule details are available at www.centreforspeed.com
by Jay | Oct 14, 2009 | NASCAR, New England, Thompson
The 25th season of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour will draw to a close and a champion will be crowned at the World Series of Speedway Racing presented by Xtra Mart on Sunday, Oct. 18 at Thompson (Conn.) International Speedway.
The final stop for the Whelen Modified Tour in 2009 will be a familiar one as Thompson has played host to more events than any other venue in the Tour’s 25-year history. And as the season concludes, a familiar storyline has once again come to the forefront: a tight championship battle.
Donny Lia – the 2007 Whelen Modified Tour champion – carries a slim 26-point lead into the season finale. Lia, from Jericho, N.Y., earned his Tour-high fourth win of the year last time out at Stafford (Conn.) Motor Speedway, and consequently took the points lead for the first time this year.
Although he may have momentum on his side after winning three of the last five races, Lia will have his hands full at Thompson, however. Ryan Preece is Lia’s closest competition at just 26 markers back.
Preece, from Berlin, Conn., has been the season’s most consistent top finisher. Highlighted by a pair of wins and third-place efforts in the last three races entering Thompson, Preece has a Tour-high nine top-five finishes in 12 starts this year. Recent history has shown that – barring mechanical failure or getting caught up in an accident – Preece will be at or near the front on Sunday.
The Lia versus Preece match-up provides an interesting storyline entering the World Series. The No. 4 “Mystic Missile” driven by Lia has been a fixture in NASCAR Modified racing since 1962 with car owner Bob Garbarino, while the No. 3 “Ole Blue” Modified of Boehler Racing Enterprises began competition in 1957 under the direction of the late Len Boehler. History has come full-circle in the 25th season of the Whelen Modified Tour with Lia and Preece the title frontrunners in cars that represent the longest-running Modified teams in the Northeast by far.
For all intents and purposes, it is a two-horse race between Lia and Preece. Although still mathematically alive, Ted Christopher, Todd Szegedy and Rowan Pennink will be long shots for the championship trophy at Thompson. Szegedy and Pennink will be eliminated from contention when Lia takes the green flag and Christopher – at 109 points out of first – would need to win and have Lia finish worse than 30th to pass the current points leader. Should that happen, Christopher would also have to leapfrog Preece by finishing sixth or better, assuming Preece finished between 22nd and 32nd.
The 2009 World Series marks the second year in a row – and just the latest on the list of instances – where the championship comes down to the last race. A year ago, Christopher carried a 35-point lead to Thompson against Matt Hirschman. Christopher went on to win the race and secure his first title.
Raceday Notes: The smallest championship points differential occurred in 1995 when Tony Hirschman edged Steve Park by three points … If Lia were to win the title, he would become just the fourth driver in Whelen Modified Tour history to earn multiple championships, joining Tony Hirschman (5), Jimmy Spencer (2) and Mike Stefanik (7) … If Preece were to clinch the title, it would mark the third year in a row that the crown goes to a first time winner, following Lia in 2007 and Christopher in 2008 … Lia enters the race with 15 career wins, which has him tied with Spencer on the Whelen Modified Tour all-time list, and one shy of the totals of Mike McLaughlin and Park … The Whelen Modified Tour champion will earn a secured starting position in the 2010 NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdown, to be held Jan. 29-30 at Toyota Speedway at Irwindale (Calif.) … Renee Dupuis will attempt to make her 100th career Whelen Modified Tour start at the World Series.
Fast Facts
The Race: World Series of Speedway Racing presented by Xtra Mart
The Place: Thompson (Conn.) International Speedway
The Date: Sunday, October 18
The Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
The Distance: 150 laps / 93.75 miles
Race Purse: $85,971
2008 Winner: Ted Christopher
2008 Polesitter: Eric Beers
Event Schedule: Saturday: Practice 11 a.m. – 12 p.m., Qualifying 2:20 p.m.
by Jay | Oct 14, 2009 | Maine, Unity
Unity, Maine — Randy Turner of Freedom, Chris Thorne of Sidney and Mac Hannan, Jr. of Union topped the list of feature race winners on a busy Longjohn Weekend stock car racing card at Unity Raceway.
Turner won the 75-lap race for the Pro Stock division, Thorne scored in a 75-lap Late Model main event and Hannan survived a wild, $1000-to-win 69-lapper in the Wildcat division.
Other Sunday feature winners included Oakland’s Mike Landry, Ben Clark of Clinton, Kyla Gallant of Veazie and Ryan Ripley of Waldoboro. Saturday afternoon main event victories were scored by Don Giggey of Athens, Brad Bosworth of Cornville, Shelby Kimball of Cornville, Lucas Porter of Norridgewock, Bob Hills and Kenny Robinson.
Randy Turner’s Pro Stock victory left Morrill’s Travis Benjamin upset as the region’s fastest full-bodied stock cars visited Unity Raceway for just the third time this season.
Turner paced the majority of the 75-lapper, but lost the lead to Benjamin, who made good use of the quicker outside groove following a restart to get in front of Turner. When Turner made a bid to regain the lead going into turn three on the inside of Benjamin there was contact, and a lap later Benjamin rolled to a stop with a flat tire.
Benjamin pitted and returned to the rear of the restart lineup, but had to settle for third-place honors behind Turner and runner-up Scott Chubbuck, who had an eventful run en route to claiming his trophy. Unity’s Dustin Hubbard impressed in his first Pro Stock race, posting a fourth-place finish. Chuck Colby rounded out the top five.
Chris Thorne survived a wild 75-lap Late Model main event, which was the third round of the Linnehan’s Credit Now Triple Crown Series, with a race at both Speedway 95 and Wiscasset Raceway crowning a series champion.
In the caution-filled affair both Thorne and Duane Seekins of Stockton Springs were able to avoid all situations unfolding in front of them until it all was happening behind them. Sidney’s Kevin Douglass picked up the third-place trophy.
Josh St. Clair of Liberty wrapped up the Triple Crown series championship with a fourth-place finish. St.Clair survived a trip into the turn one sand pile and made several pit stops before climbing back into contention. Burnham’s Frank Moulton, the track’s 2009 Late Model champion, rounded out the top five.
Mac Hannan’s run from 16th starting position to victory lane in the 69-lap Wildcat race was patient and methodical, but loaded with luck as several very quick cars were sidelined in a freak spike in the axle-breaking ratio. At least a couple of drivers who led the race – Jeff ‘Bo Overlock., Jr. and Carl McAlpine – were later sidelined with broken axles, as were a couple of other cars running in front of Hannan’s Dave Brannon-owned machine.
Early on it looked like Overlock and Shorey were the cars to beat. They got together and Shorey was done for the day, with Overlock going on to lead by a healthy margin for several laps until his axle broke. Late in the race, 2009 Unity Raceway Wildcat champion Carl McAlpine was holding off Hanaan’s challenges, but his axle broke as the white flag was in sight.
Hanaan held off Lyman McKeage of Gorham on a green-white-checkered restart for the win and the $1000 top prize. Brad Norris of Ellsworth finished in third position, followed under the checkered flag by Auburn’s Mike Short and Brent Chase of Burnham.
Mike Landry held off Shane Tatro of Levant to win the 50-lap Super Street finale. Early race leader Nate Weston of Madison was third across the line, with another early pacesetter, Dan McKeage of Gorham, crossing the line in fourth position. Steve Moulton of Holden had an eventful drive, resulting in a top-five finish.
Ben Clark romped to an impressive win in the Late Model Pro Four feature. Mike Mason of Skowhegan, moving up from the Flyin’ 4 division he’s the new champion of for the first time, drove his new mount to runner-up honors. Jimmy Dennis of Benton wheeled to a third-place finish with Bryan Lancaster of Skowhegan and Oakland’s Reggie Bickford rounding out the top five.
Kyle Gallant led wire-to-wire in the Monsta Mini division main event. Dylan Lancaster of Skowhegan easily claimed runner-up honors with Scott Theriault of South China taking the final trophy after an intense battle with Plymouth’s Derrick Terrill. Lewis Batchelder of Dixmont rounded out the top five.
Flyin’ 4: Ryan Ripley of Waldoboro prevailed in Flyin’ 4 feature racing action, holding off Augusta’s Cody Sleeper to claim the checkered flag. Sleeper got the second-place hardware, with third-place honors going to Jason Trundy of Old Town; Ed Sleeper of Vassalboro and Tasha Dyer of Arrowsic were fourth and fifth across the finish line.
Teen Thunder and Ladies division competitors raced together, producing a thrilling battle for the lead on the final lap that saw the position change twice. Teen winner Brad Bosworth ended up just beating out Ladies winner Shelby Kimball to the checkered flag. Alica Goodwin of Clinton and Kayla Chesley of Skowhegan got second and third-place trophies for the Ladies class. Gage Landry of Sidney and Jayson Bosworth of Cornville finished second and third in the Teen Thunder rundown.
Jeff Littlefield of Wilslow won the Mini Cup race, inheriting the lead when eventual runner-up Ralph Melanson of Dover-Foxcroft couldn’t successfully protect the top spot from Ed Trask’s assault on the final lap. Benton’s Alex Fernald claimed the third-place trophy.
Don Giggey of Athens outran Ryan Hayes of Jefferson and Jamie Foster of Benton in the Truck feature. Kevin Oliver of Gray and Lance Chapman of Benton rounded out the top five.
Lucas Porter of Norridgwock won the Enduro race. Bob Hills and Kenny Robinson won feature races for Wicked Good Vintage Race Car Association competitors.
One more event remains on the 2009 Unity Raceway schedule, with “Frostbite 50s” for all weekly support divisions and Fernald Frenzy Fun day action set to get under way at 1:00 p.m. For more information please call (207) 45302021 or visit unityraceway.info
Pro Stock: 1. Randy Turner, Freedom; 2. Scott Chubbuck, Dresden; 3. Travis Benjamin, Morrill; 4. Dustin Hubbard, Unity; 5. Chuck Colby, Damariscotta; 6. Brian Whitney, Burnham; 7. Charlie Colby, Woolwich; 8. Jesse Smith, Bangor; 9. John Higgins, Glenburn; 10. Scott Moore, Anson; 11. Richie Dearborn, Hollis; 12. Matt Lee, Albion; 13. Chris Pangburn, Easton; 14. Jeff Burgess, Fairfield; 15. Tim Turner, Freedom; 16. Dean Fuller, Albion.
Late Model: 1. Chris Thorne, Sidney; 2. Duane Seekins, Stockton Springs; 3. Kevin Douglass, Sidney; 4. Josh St.Clair, Liberty; 5. Frank Moulton, Burnham; 6. Dave Farrington, Jay; 7. James Osmond, Wiscasset; 8. Dylan Turner, Freedom; 9. Seth Raven, Waldo; 10. Shane Lane, Kingfield; 11. Ajay Picard, Palmyra; 12. Rowland Robinson, Jr., Steuben; 13. Jeff Clewey, Winterport; 14. John Phippen, Bar Harbor; 15. Scott Modery, Hermon; 16. Milo Haney, Connor; 17. Dale Swoboda, Hermon; 18. Shane Clark, Winterport; 19. Troy Patterson, Stockton Springs; 20. Danny Smart, Buxton; 21. Darren Doucette, Sidney; 22. Louie Picard, Palmyra.
Super Street: 1. Mike Landry, Oakland; 2. Shane Tatro, Levant; 3. Nate Weston, Madison; 4. Dan McKeage, Gorham; 5. Steve Moulton, Holden; 6. Nick Huff, Orrington; 7. John Kalel II, Orrington; 8. Derek Mingo, Lamoine; 9. Artie Maguire, Bucksport; 10. Abel Leamer; Winterport; 11. Hal Stratton, Belgrade; 12. Kris Watson, Hermon; 13. Ryan St.Clair, Liberty; 14. Ed Drake, Vassalboro; 15. Sonny Robinson, Clinton; 16. Jason Morse, Ellsworth; 17. Mike Lynch, Winterport; 18. Doug Day, Glenburn.
Wildcat: 1. Mac Hannan, Jr., Union; 2. Lyman McKeage, Gorham; 3. Brad Norris, Ellsworth; 4. Mike Short, Auburn; 5. Brent Chase, Burnham; 6. Mike St.Germain, Auburn; 7. Shawn Hamel II, Bangor; 8.. DJ Moody, Prospect; 9. Jim Carr, Jr., Clifton; 10. Carl McAlpine, Burnham; 11. Matt Shaw, Troy; 13. Roger Smith, Jr., Clifton; 14. Jason Alton, Burnham; 15. Alex Waltz, Damariscotta; 16. Chris King, Burnham; 17. Travis Poulin, Holden; 18.. Dustin Hubbard, Unity; 19. Jeff ‘Bo’ Overlock, Jr., Hermon; 20. #98 ?, 21. Jim Shorey, Lebanon; 22. Luke Rickards, Anson.
Late Model Pro Four: 1. Ben Clark, Clinton; 2. Mike Mason, Skowhegan; 3. Jimmy Dennis, Benton; 4. Bryan Lancaster, Skowhegan; 5. Reggie Bickford, Oakland; 6. Jonathan Smith, Augusta; 7. Lance Chapman, Benton.
Monsta Mini: 1. Kyle Gallant, Veazie; 2. Dylan Lancaster, Skowhegan; 3. Scott Theriault, South China; 4. 07 Derrick Terrill, Plymouth; 5. 5. Lewis Batchelder, Dixmont; 6. Paul Jackson, Augusta; 7. Richard Jackson, Hudson, 8. Alica Goodwin, Clinton.
Flyin’ 4: 1. Ryan Ripley, Waldoboro; 2. Cody Sleeper, Augusta; 3. 3. Jason Trundy, Old Town; 4. Ed Sleeper, Vassalboro; 5. Tasha Dyer, Arrowsic; 6. James Johnson II, Bucksport; 7. Abel Leamer, Winterport; 8. John Fortin, Vassalboro; 9. Chris Burbelo, Frankfort; 10. Rick Ripley, Waldoboro; 11. Henry Boudreau, Winterport; 12. Pete McCollett, Readfield.
Wicked Good (“Late Models”): 1. Bob Hills; 2. Keith Fuller; 3. Dick McPhail; 4. Rosie Gerry; 5. Keith Smalley; 6. Butch Hall; 7. Wally Henderson; 8. Shawn Racila.
Wicked Good (“Outlaw”): 1. Kenny Robinson; 2. Al Paradise; 3. Tim Reynolds; 4. Duane Dunifer; 5. Bob Dionne; Joe Legere; 8. Alan Robinson.
Ladies: 1. Shelby Kimball, Cornville; 2. Alica Goodwin, Clinton; 3. Kayla Chesley, Skowhegan; 4. Kayla Allen, Bucksport.
Teens: 1. Brad Bosworth, Cornville; 2. Gage Landry, Sidney; 3. Jayson Bosworth, Cornville; 4. Matt Kimball, Cornville; 5. Eddie Gilblair, Skowhegan.
Trucks: 1. Don Giggey, Athens; 2. Ryan Hayes, Jefferson; 3. Jamie Foster, Benton; 4. Kevin Oliver, Gray; Lance Chapman, Benton.
Mini Cup: 1. Jeff Littlefield, Winslow; 2. Ralph Melanson, Dover-Foxcroft; 3. Alex Fernald, Benton; 4. Ed Trask, Augusta.
Enduro winner: Lucas Porter, Norridewock.
by Jay | Oct 12, 2009 | PASS
CHARLOTTE, NC (October 12 2009) – Pro All Stars Series (PASS) officials announced today that the 2009 season has been completed for the PASS Late Model Trucks. While the PASS Late Model Trucks will not compete in a previously scheduled event for Saturday, October 24th at Greenville-Pickens Speedway, the PASS South Super Late Models will still be there in action. The Howler will be the final points race of 2009 for the PASS South Super Late Models.
In 2009 PASS sanctioned the Late Model Trucks for the first time as a support division for the PASS South Super Late Models. Veteran racer Hal Goodson won the first ever PASS Late Model Truck race back in March at the Dillon Motor Speedway. In nine races in 2009, 30 drivers competed in at least one event with four drivers taking wins including Goodson, Grant Davidson, Jody Measamer, and Clint King. On the strength of a series leading four wins and never finishing lower than third, Davidson will be crowned as the inaugural PASS Late Model Truck Champion. Davidson took the title by 36 points over Measamer, who finished the season by winning three of the final four PASS Late Model Truck events.
The decision to cancel the final PASS Late Model Truck event at Greenville was made following a disappointing Truck turnout for the most recent series event at Southern National. A decision regarding the 2010 season will be coming soon.
“This season we decided to bring the Late Model Trucks in under PASS sanction and we saw some really outstanding races everywhere we went,” said PASS President Tom Mayberry. “We really appreciate Grant Davidson, Jody Measamer, Michael Cooper, and Justin Crider for their support throughout the entire season. During the off season will talk to the Truck competitors and make a decision about next year in the coming weeks.”
The PASS South Super Late Models return to action this weekend at the South Boston Speedway in Virginia for the Mason-Dixon 500. The race will be the longest at 250 laps and richest of the 2009 season. In addition to the 250 laps of racing for the PASS South Super Late Models, the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Late Model Stocks will also be competing in a 250 lap event. For more information go to southbostonspeedway.com, racewithpass.com or proallstarsseries.com..
by Jay | Oct 12, 2009 | Hudson, New Hampshire
Hudson NH – J.R. Baril returned to Hudson Speedway this past Sunday afternoon after fourteen years away and won the twenty eight car Outlaw Sportsman feature race.
Shawn Waites led the Outlaw field to the green and led most of the first half of the race while fighting off a tough Peter Fiandaca. Fiandaca and Waites battled side by side for many laps until a caution flew and Fiandaca restarted first. Waites and Lee Weldy made contact on the ensuing restart sending Waites spinning and championship points leader Mitch Wendell to the pits for repairs after hitting the back of Weldys car trying to avoid the spin. After Waites spin, Baril restarted second next to Fiandaca and contact with Fiandaca sent Fiandaca spinning off the backstretch. Sandy Lee had moved into second but wasn’t able to mount a challenge as Baril cruised under the checkers.
Mitch Wendell won the Outlaw Sportsman championship but it wasn’t easy as he had damage from the Waites spin, pitted, restarting last with ten laps to go and needed to make up nine positions to win. Wendell made a furious charge through the field and with his last pass of the race moved back into first place in points. It was Wendells second championship at Hudson, he was the 1995 Bud Light Champion.
Second through tenth were Lee, Bobby Allen, Tim Casey, John Lavoie, Geoff Rollins, Wendell, Eddie Brehio Jr., Weldy and Fiandaca.
Shane Reinhold led the Classic Lites to their green flag and held the top spot for half the race until Jimmy Ryder Jr. finally chased him down and took over. Ryder Jr’s lead only lasted a few laps until Eric Bacon took his usual top spot. Bacon took it home from there with Ryder Jr. second. Reinhold held on for his first podium finish in third, Danny Shields ran a fine race coming in fourth and Dennis O’Brien rounded out the top five.
Dylan Bilodeau extended his points lead in the Thunder Lights by winning the feature. Derek Griffith finished second getting within a few car lengths of Bilodeau but not able to mount a serious challenge. Bobby Stirk lll spun early and recovered to finish third. Jen Lord finished fourth and Dan Fortin fifth.
Louie Maher won his thirteenth Roadrunner feature of the year. Jef James was second for the thirteenth time and Eric Miller was third. Patrick D’Alba was fourth and Peter Raby fifth.
John Cianciulli won his third Rookie feature of the year. Second through tenth were Dean Wendell, John Morin, Heath Toutellotte, Andy Nichols, Dan Murphy, Larry Fortin, Scott Duval, Jerry Lepage and John Desilets.
Doug Simes won the Flagpole Race. Ron Lord Jr. won the Spectator Race and Gary Boutreau won the Spectator Drags.
Next Sunday, October 18th is Pumpkinfest ’09 at Hudson Speedway with championships for the Classic Lites, V-6 Modifieds, Rookie Stocks, Roadrunners, Thunder Lights plus Enduros, Spectator Race, Spectator Drags and Flagpole Race. The kids bike races start at 1130am. Gates open at 11am and the first race at 1pm. For more info please visit www.hudsonspeedway.info.
